Hearthstone is currently having a bit of a balance problem in both its Standard and Wild formats. On one hand you have Standard mode which is littered with all sorts of aggressive Paladins, mana-cheating Warlocks and decks relying entirely on Spiteful Summoner, while on the Wild side you have all of that plus decks based around abusing Naga Sea Witch in order to fill the board with 8/8 giants. As such, I am very pleased to announce that salvation is almost at hand!

The newly revealed balance update will be arriving after the HTC playoffs (so after May 20th), bringing with it some much-needed nerfs to pretty much all of the problematic cards. The list is fairly short and sweet, so without further delay, here's what's being adjusted:

• Spiteful Summoner - Will cost 7 mana, up from 6

• Naga Sea Witch - Will cost 8 mana, up from 5

• Dark Pact - Will restore 4 health, down from 8

• Possessed Lackey - Will cost 6 mana, up from 5

• Call to Arms - Will cost 5 mana, up from 4

• The Caverns Below - Will not set all minions to 4/4, down from 5/5/5

Given some of Blizzard's previous balance efforts, I must admit I am pleasantly surprised by these changes. Every single one has been handled in a rather delicate way, so even though the nerf may be extreme (as is the case with Naga Sea Witch), there is still a good chance the card will see play because its strengths have not been removed. So here's to hoping we'll be seeing more of these changes in the future as well, because this is exactly what Hearthstone needs in order to stay fresh and interesting!

You can learn a little bit more about these balance changes, as well as the reasoning behind them, by visiting the official website.